Base-ball-throwing machine.



' L. H. LANIER. BASE BALL nmowme MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24. I915- mam.

Patented July 11, 1916.

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L. H. LANIER.

BASE BALL THROWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24. 1915.

L1 90,??6. Patented July11,1916.

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LEWIS H. LANIER, OF NEVTIOR'I', KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD T.O THOMAS J. LEEN AND ONE-THIRD TO CHARLES KOESTER, BOTH OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

BASE-BALL-TI-IROWING MACHINE.

Patented July ii, rare;

Application filed March 24, 1915. Serial No. 16,797.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS H. LANIER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of. the city of Newport, in the county of Campbell and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Base-Ball-Throwing Machines, of which the following is a full, clear. and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to machines for the purpose of throwing a baseball so as to act as a mechanical pitcher for use in practice by ball players. In machines of this type in the past, there has been either a structure so expensive as to be unmarketable, or else there has been so weak a throwing means as to render the device useless as a machine to be employed in practice by ball players, these throwers working on an over-hand pitching method or else by compressed air. The

throwing of a ball that will pass with a de sired high speed over a given point or plate is further complicated by the fact that it is very ditlicult to provide a device for holding the ball, that will not so curve it, owing to chance adhering to one side or other of the cup or hand, that any uniformity of throw is impossible. Where a spring bumper is provided to take up the It is also one of my objects to provide a.

cup for holding the ball which will allow it to leave the arm in a uniform manner at each throw.

It is one of the objects to provide for a long or short throw at desired speed over a given point or in a given line, and also to provide for the proper snap to the ball which is necessary for a throw of the kind desired,

means being provided also to reduce the possibility of the throwing arm breaking owing to the sharp stopping of its movement under pressure of the springs.

These objects and various other advantages, as will be mentioned below, I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more specifically pointed out and claimed wherein a horizontal throwing arm. mounted on a rocking frame is spring actuated and brought up against a fixed abutment,proper snap being provided by the construction of the arm and the arrangement of the abutment.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof, taken from the throwing side. Fig. 4: is a. side elevation thereof, taken from the actuating side. Fig. 5 is a plan view looking down into the cup for holding the ball. Fig. 6 is a central vertical section through the cup. Fig. 7- is a plan view of the throwing arm quadrant. Fig. 8 is a sectional detail show;

ing the method of mounting the speed regulating slide on the said quadrant, taken on the line a, a, of Fig. 7. r

The whole device is mounted on a standard 1, suitably supported on a base Q. Mounted in a large journal 3 on this stand ard is a shaft 4 that carries the throwing arm and bumper plate. This shaft also carries the spring devices for actuating the throwing arm, and all of the devices are adapted to be rocked for varying the height of throw of the ball by a rocking of said shaft. The shaft is revoluble in its journal 3, and the journal 3 is mounted on the standard 1 by means of a large integral journal This journal rests against a. clamp collar 6 (Fig. 3) that has a trunnion portion 7 for journaling a worm S. The collar may be adjusted on the standard by loosening its clamping screw 9, and the adjustment of the collar will allow the entire balance of the device, supported as it is on the journal, to move up or down along the standard 1. A segmental rack 10 on the journal 5 is in mesh with the worm on the collar, and by revolving this worm through the medium of the hand wheel 11 secured thereto, the journal 5 is revolved around the standard. Mounted in a boss 12 on the side of the journal 5 is a worm shaft 13, which likewise has a hand wheel 14, for actuating it. The worm is in mesh with a segmental rack 15 that is fixedly mounted on the horizontal shaft 4:, and a turning of the worm will result in a rocking of the shaft, and

this rocking in a tipping of the entire throwing device for the purposes to be hereinafter mentioned. Fixedly mounted on the shaft 4 is an arm 16 which has secured to its outer end by means of a bolt 18, a plate 17. To this plate are secured the ends of powerful springs 19, 19, preferably two in number, the said springs extending across the machine and secured at their other ends to a like plate 20. The plate 20 has a bifurcated arm 21 that is pivotally secured by means of a bolt22 in any one of a series of holes 23 in the quadrant 24:. The quadrant has gear teeth at its other end from the holes and is pivoted at 26 to the large collar 27 on the horizontal shaft 4. Pivoted at 528 at the other side of this collar, which has two branching arms for this purpose, is the quadrant 29 having gear teeth 30 in mesh with the teeth of the quadrant first mentioned. The quadrant 29 has a frame piece 31 to which is bolted the throwing arm 32. The construction of the throwing arm, which is extremely important to my invention, will be described in detail hereafter. The arm is designed to be driven by the springs against a bumper plate. The bumper plate has a double frame 33, bolted at 34 and 35 to collars 36 and 87 on the hori zontal shaft 4. The bumper frame has a slightly segmental edge which is faced with a like curved plate of iron 38 and an outer facing of leather 39. Since the bumper plate is fixed on the shaft 4 it will be rocked together with the rest of the operating devices when the shaft is rocked as aforementioned. Bolted at 40, 4.0, to the under side of the collar extension that supports the throwing arm quadrant 29 is a rod 41, which has pivoted to it at 12 a lever 43. The lever carries a vertical pin 43, pivotally mounted at its inner end, and this pin passes up through a hole therefor in the rod 41. This pin is so placed that it projects its end directlyin line with the teeth of the quadrant 29 beneath which it is mounted, and a spring 4. 1, located between the rod and the lever supporting the pin tends to force the pin into engagement with said teeth. To pre vent this engagement except at a given point, a segment disk 45 (Figs. 7 and 8) is mounted on the quadrant pivoting means at 28, and has mounted on it an upwardly extending pin 16 that passes through a. slot -l-7 in the quadrant. The plate extends out to the edge of the quadrant teeth and thus will prevent the pin from coming into contact with the teeth. By moving the plate through the agency of the pin and slot men tioned, the end tooth or the second or third tooth can be exposed.

As the throwing arm is drawn back by the operator, the quadrant 29 will be swung, thereby also swinging the intermeshing quadrant 24:. This will extend the springs 19, 19, and put the throwing device under spring tension. The pin 43 will lie against the under side of the segment disk 4-5, and when it has passed the disk will be forced up by the spring lever, to which it is mounted as described, into the first exposed tooth in the throwing arm quadrant. As soon as the pin has come into this locking position, the device is ready to be set off, and it is obvious that the farther in is the tooth that is engaged the less will the actuating springs be extended.

To release the device, the operator presses together the rod 41 and the pin holding lever 43, which will withdraw the pin and allow the springs to throw over the quadrants. thereby swinging the arm against the bumper. Inasmuch as the arm throws hori- Zontally, the tipping motion described of the throwing devices is necessary to regulate the height to which the ball is thrown. and

since means are. adapted for regulating the speed of the ball. the throwing devices must be swung around on the standard if it is desired that the swift ball go over the same point as a previous slow ball.

After several trial throws, the operator by means of the two hand wheels for the worms 8 and 13. can adjust. the machine for height and also for the line of throw. A fter this adjustment is once made. a change of speed of the ball will. of course. change the line at which the ball will leave the throwing arm, and the adjustment will again have to be made for line of throw. as well as for the height of the hall at the receiving point.

The throwing arm is constructed preferably of hickory wood and in view of the great strain put upon it by the sudden snapping against the bnmper plate. special means are adopted to take up the strains to which it is subjected. The arm is made in two portions (Fig. 1), a. comparatively thin strip of hickory 4-8, on which the cup or hand -19 is mounted, and a thick. stout strip 50. which is secured to the quadrant 29 as described. The clips 51. 51. are secured to the thick strip and engage over the thin strip loosely so as to give the thin strip opportunity to slide on the stout strip. A clip 52 is mounted over both strips, but not secured to either at the ball holding end, and this clip is held in place, allowing no play between the two members by means of the ridge 53 formed on the narrow strip inside of the clip and the expanded end 54- of the thicker strip. The arm could be made of more than two pieces, if desired, for greater strengtlr i-Vhen the arm is sprung over to make a throw, it is straight and comes into contact with the curved bumper plate. The arm then bends and the narrow strip -Lt8 can stretch to take up the stress caused by the bending. The thicker strip does not carry the ball holding cup and does not receive the jar that is given to the thinner strip, and henceis not liable to break, and the springiness of the wood gives to the ball in the cup just the proper snap to fling it away from the machine in a straight line at a high speed, with the true motion of a person throwing the ball.

The cup is so constructed that it will hold the ball and release it in a uniform manner without giving it a curve in either direction. It is not possible, owing to conditions of moisture, to absolutely control the curving of every ball even in the most accurate hand pitching, and it is not asserted that there is no variation whatever in the line taken by the ball in this machine. With a ball in the same condition between throws, however, the cup to be described below will so hold and deliver a ball that it will pass over a plate, once the parts are adjusted for height and distance, with considerably more accuracy than when pitched by hand.

The cup is formed of aluminum for purposes of reducing weight, and has at its outer end a flaring portion 55. At the sides of the cup, slightly toward the outer end from the center, are the rounded ridges 56, 5G, and in the base of the cup is placed a wedge shaped plate 57. A spring having a finger portion 58 is mounted in the bottom of the cup, and a reinforcing bar 59 is formed at the outer end of the cup to hold the flaring portion against being bent out of shape by the shock at the time of delivery of the ball.

The ball is set in the cup, resting on the wedge plate, with its upper portion resting against the spring and its two sides contacting with the two ridges 56. The ball is slightly oil center .in its position in the cup as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, and is held from fiying out before the end oi the throw by the spring finger. It will leave the cup, however, without being pulled or twirled enough to cause it to break or curve at any time during its passage through the air.

In operation. the ball is placed in the cup after the arm is drawn back and locked at described. The arm is then released and is carried against the curved abutment with sufiicient force to bend around the abutment through its own resiliency, thus propelling and snapping the ball out of the cup in the desired direction.

The cup is placed on the arm just beyond the point where the arm contacts with the abutment, and the arm at the moment of delivery lies against the abutment througlr out its outer end, as otherwise it would be liable to fracture at the first throw. It the springs 19 become too weak, their attachment to the quadrant 2- may be adjusted by pivotally securing their securing plate in a selected hole 23.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

1. In a baseball throwing machine, a throwing arm oi resilient material, means for actuating said arm, a curved fixed abutment of considerable length to contact with a considerable portion of the outer end of said arm at the end of its actuation, and means for mounting said arm so as to swing sidewise whereby a snapping away of the ball is accomplished.

2. In a baseball throwing machine, a straigl'it throwing arm of resilient material, means for actuating said arm, a curved fixed abutment of considerable length to contact with aconsiderable portion of the outer end of said arm at the end of its actuation, and means for mounting said arm so as to swing sidewise whereby a snapping away of the ball is accon'iplished.

8. In a baseball throwing machine, a straight throwing arm of tough resilient wood, means for actuating said arm, a curved fixed abutment for said arm at the end of its actuation, and means'l ormounting said arm so as to swing sidewise.

4:. In a baseball throwing machine, a throwing arm of resilient material, means for actuating said arm, a curved abutment for said arm, said abutment positioned so as to engage the arm throughout its outer portion at the end of a throw, means for mounting the arm so as to swing sidewise, and a ball holding means on the arm located at the end of the arm.

5. In a baseball throwing machine, a straight throwing arm of tough resilient wood, a curved fixed abutment for said arm, said abutment positioned so as to engage the. arm throughout its outer extremity at the end of a throw, means ttor mounting the arm so as to swing sidewise, and a ball holding means located at the end of the arm.

6. In a baseball throwing device, a throwing arm, means for actuating the same, and a cup for holding a ball located on the arm,

standard, a rock shaft, means for ing arm, means for actuating the same, a cup for holding a ball located on the arm, means in the cup for presenting a limited number of rounded contacts to the periphery of the ball, and a spring finger for holding the ball in the cup.

8. In a baseball throwing device, a throwing arm, means for actuating the same, a cup for holding a ball located on said arm, rounded contact ridges at the side of the cup, a flaring outer end for the cup, and a spring finger at the innerend, for the purpose described.

9. In a baseball throwing device, a throwing arm, means for actuating the same, a cup for holding a ball located on -said arm, rounded contact ridges at the side of the cup, a flaring outer end for the cup, and a spring finger at the inner end, and a sloping contact plate in the base of the cup located toward the inner end from the ridges.

10. In a baseball throwing device, a throwing arm, means for actuating the same, an aluminum cup for holding a ball located on said arm, rounded contact ridges at the side of the cup, a flaring outer end for the cup, a spring finger at the inner end, and reinforcing material outside the flaring end of the cup, for the purpose described.

11. In a baseball throwing device, a standard, a rock shaft supported laterally on said standard, a throwing arm on said shaft arranged to swing horizontally toward the shaft when throwing the ball, and means mounted on the shaft for actuating the throwing arm.

12. In a baseball throwing machine, a laterally journaling said shaft, means for journaling the shaft journaling' means on the standard, and a throwing arm mounted so as to swing toward said shaft in throwing the ball, and actuating means therefor, both mounted on the shaft, so as to throw a substantially as described.

13. In a base-Hall throwing machine, a standard, means for mounting a shaft laterally on the standard, means for rocking said shaft, and means for revolving it around the standard, and a throwing device 'mounted on said shaft, comprising a fixed abutment on the shaft and a throwing arm pivoted so as to swing toward the shaft when throwing the ball.

14. In a baseball throwing machine, a throwing arm, a toothed quadrant secured to said arm, a toothed quadrant in mesh therewith, a spring device connected to the latter quadrant, and releasable means for ball underhand,

engaging the quadrant teeth, to hold the throwing arm under spring pressure and to release the same, allowing the arm to be swung by the quadrants.

15. In a baseball throwing throwing arm, a toothed quadrant secured to said arm, a toothed quadrant in mesh therewith, a spring device connected to the latter quadrant, and releasable means for engaging the quadrant teeth, to hold the throwing arm under spring pressure and to release the same, allowing the arm to be swung by the quadrants, and means for bringing said engaging device automatically into engagement with desired quadrant teeth to regulate the amount of spring pressure applied to said arm,

16. In a baseball throwing machine, a throwing arm, a toothed quadrant connected thereto, a toothed quadrant in mesh therewith, means for engaging the quadrant teeth, means for normally maintaining said means in position for engagement, and means on the quadrants for preventing such engagement except at a desired point.

17. In' a baseball throwing machine, a throwing arm, a toothed quadrant connected thereto, a toothed quadrant in mesh therewith, means for engaging the quadrant teeth, means for normally maintaining said means machine, a

in position for engagement, and adjustable means on the quadrants for preventing such engagement except at a desired point, so as to regulate the spring tension, and automatically locking the throwing arm in position to commence a throw.

18. In a baseball throwing machine, a throwing arm of resilient material, means for swinging said arm, and a curved abutment positioned so as to contact with the outer end of the arm throughout a substantial length adjacent the free end thereof, whereby the end of the arm will, of its own resiliency combined with the swinging force applied thereto, give a snap to the ball.

19. In a baseball throwing machine, a throwing arm of resilient material, means for swinging said arm, and a curved abutment to contact with the arm at the end of its throw, whereby the end of the arm will, of its own resiliency combined with the swinging force applied thereto, give a snap to the ball, and a cup for a ball secured to said end of the arm, said cup being of aluminum, and having a single spring finger to hold the ball therein.

20. In a baseball throwing machine, a throwing arm of resilient material, means for swinging said arm. and a curved abutment to contact with the arm at the end of its throw, whereby the end of the arm will, of its own resiliency combined with the swinging force applied thereto, give a snap to the ball, and a cup for a ball secured to said end of the arm, said cup having a lim' ited number of convex contact points with the ball.

21. In a baseball throwing machine, a throwing arm of resilient material, means for swinging said arm, and a curved abutment to contact with the arm at the end of its throw, whereby the end of the arm will, of its own resiliency combined with the swinging force applied thereto, give a snap to the ball, and a cup for a ball secured to said end of the arm, said cup having a limited number of convex contact points with said ball to deliver it without friction.

22. In a baseball throwing machine, a throwing arm of resilient material, means for swinging said arm, and a curved abut ment to contact with the arm at the end of its throw, whereby the end of the arm will, of its own resiliency combined with the swinging force applied thereto, give a snap to the ball, and a cup for a ball secured to said end of the arm, said cup having a limited number of rounded contact points with said ballv to deliver it without friction, and a single spring finger having a rounded contact portion with said ball to hold the ball in the cup during the swinging of the arm.

23. In a baseball throwing device, a throwing arm, and means for swinging the same, said arm being composed of a plurality of separate portions of resilient material loosely bound together along the length thereof and tightly bound at the throwing end thereof.

24-. In a baseball throwing device, a throwing arm, and means for swinging the same, said arm being-composed of a plurality of separate portions of resilient material. loosely bound together through out their length and tightly bound at the ball delivery end thereof, and a cup for a ball, said cup being mounted on one of the arm portions, and the other of said portions being connected to the swinging means.

25. In a baseball throwing device, a throwing arm, and means for swinging said arm, said arm being composed of a plu rality of separate portions of hickory wood loosely bound together throughout their length and tightly bound at the ball delivery end thereof.

26. In a baseball throwing device, a throwing arm, and means for swinging said arm, said arm being composed of a plurality of separate portions of hickory wood loosely bound together throughout their length and tightly bound at the ball delivery end, and a cup for a ball, said cup being mounted on one of the arm portions, and the other of said portions being connected to the swinging means.

27. In a baseball throwing device, a

throwing arm, and means for swinging the same, said arm being composed of a thick and a thin portion of resilient material, clips mounted on the thick portion and loosely engaging the thin portion, a cup for holding a ball, said cup mounted on the thin portion, and means for holding the arm portions tightly together adjacent to the cup mounting point.

28. In a baseball throwing machine, a throwing arm, and means for swinging the same, said arm being composed of a thick portion and a thin portion, means for loosely mounting the thin portion so as to lie along the outer side of the thick portion, a cup for holding a ball, and means for mounting the cup on the thin portion, and means for holding the arm portions tightly together adjacent to the cup mounting point.

29. In a baseball throwing machine, a throwing arm, and means for swinging the same, said arm being composed of a thick portion and a thin portion, clips on the thick portion for loosely mounting the thin portion on the outer side thereof, raised portions on the twoportions, a clip to en: gage said raised portions one on one side and the other on the other, a cup for holding a ball, and means for mounting the cup on the thin portion.

30. In a baseball throwing machine, a throwing arm of resilient material, means for swinging said arm, and a curved abutment in contact with the arm at the end of its throw, whereby the end of the arm will, of its own resiliency combined with the swinging force applied thereto, give a snap to the ball, said throwing arm being composed of a plurality of separate portions loosely held together throughout their length and tightly bound at the ball delivery end, and a cup for holding a ball mounted on the outer of the two portions.

31. In a baseball throwing machine, a throwing arm of resilient material, means for swinging said arm, and a curved abutment in contact with the arm at the end of its throw, whereby the end of the arm will, of its own resiliency combined with the swinging force applied thereto, give a snap to the ball, said throwing arm being composed of two separate portions, one thick and the other thin, clips on the thickpo-rtion for loosely mounting the thin portion on its outer surface and means for tightly binding them together at the throwing end, and a ball holding means mounted on the thin portion.

In a baseball throwing device, a throwing arm, and means for swinging the same, said arm being composed of two separate portions of resilient material loosely bound together and means for tightly binding them together at the throwing end, and holding mil.

". 0 the outer means for a ball, said holding ing means for holding a ball, means for mounting the holding means on the thin portion, and means for securing the thick and thin portions tightly together adjacent to the attachment point of the ball holding 1 means.

LEWIS H. LANIER. lVitnesses:

LORENZ L. LEMPER, KATHERINE SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patenu.

' e Washington, D. C." 

